Thursday 16 May 2013

Arts Documentaries



etflix is a great resource for finding all those interesting obscure documentaries that play film festivals then disappear forever.  I'd like to highlight a few that I think anyone with an interest in film, animation and art would appreciate.









'Beauty is Embarassing' (2012) is the story of  American artist Wayne White who made his name as the art director of Pee Wee's Playhouse. It's a story of passion, obsession, burn out and inspiration.
















'Herb & Dorothy' (2008) unveils the incredible modern art collection of Herbert and Dorothy Vogel, a New York couple of modest means who befriended minimalist artists in the 60s due to their genuine  passion for the art & an eye for what would become collectable over the ensuing decades.













With his film 'Side by Side' (2012) Keanu Reeves takes advantage of unparalleled access to todays top film-makers for his thoughtful  examination of the dominance of digital film-making and exhibition in today's film industry .















'Something's Gonna Live' (2010) is a delightful study of six veteran production designers who remained friends into old age, including Robert Boyle, designer of Hitchcock's films.















'No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos' (2008) is the story of two friends who defected from their native Hungary in the 50s, moved to Hollywood and became two of the best directors of photography in the industry.









Sarah Kelly's 'Full Tilt Boogie' (1997) is a feature length look at the production of Robert Rodriguez's 'From Dusk Till Dawn' featuring Quentin Tarantino, KNB FX, Lawrence Bender tussling with IATSE, Harvey Keitel but no Salma Hayak!





'How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?' (2010) is a fascinating film on architect Norman Foster featuring Richard Rogers, Anish Kapoor, Richard Serra, Anthony Caro, Buckminster Fuller & Bono.









In 'The Sci-Fi Boys'(2006) today's top fantasy film-makers discuss the influence on their work of Forest J Ackerman & Ray Harryhausen. Featuring Peter Jackson, Dennis Muren, John Landis, Rick Baker.








The Last Mogul: The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman (2005)
Fascinating expose of legendary Hollywood mogul & president of MCA directed by Barry Avrich









'Tales From The Script' (2009) by Peter Hanson and Paul Robert Herman -a revealing look at the experiences of screenwriters in Hollywood